Curse
by ItalianCrybaby
Summary: Alfred is deeply in love with Arthur Kirkland. People try to warn him that the Kirkland family is cursed, but he refuses to believe them. Will he continue to turn a blind eye to their warnings when death begins to follow him where ever he goes? (USUK with some Revolutionary War feels.)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello Lovely readers~! ItalianCraybaby is back with a new story. **

**I will admit that horror is not my forte. To be honest I hate horror movies and I have only read like two horror stories in my entire life and they totally messed me up… But~! With it being October, and Halloween coming up, I wanted to try and write a scary story.**

**This story is based off of a book I read in middle school called Forbidden Secrets. **

**Disclaimer! I do not own Hetalia. (But wouldn't it be awesome if I did?!)**

**Enjoy~!**

* * *

Alfred Jones looked out of his window eagerly. He stared out into the open fields of his family's magnificent farmland. The fields of wheat blew gently in the light breeze and looked like a sea of gold in the sunlight. On most days, Alfred could stare at the beautiful scene for hours on end. But today was different.

The young 15 year old teen was practically hanging out of his window in hopes to catch a glimpse of anyone coming towards their house. But really, the teen wasn't looking for any old person to make their way to his home. No, he was waiting for his cousin Francis Bonnefoy and his cousin's friend Arthur Kirkland to come back from their horse ride in the woods.

Francis lived in France but liked to travel often. The 20 year old man had already visited the Jones family once before when Alfred and his brother Matthew were 6 years of age. Francis told the most interesting stories and met the most interesting people. Alfred and Matthew grew close to their cousin during that time of his first visit, so to hear that their dear cousin was coming back made the two brothers ecstatic.

Francis arrived just 2 weeks before the Town's Annual Event Plaza Party that they had every year and he even brought a friend along… Arthur.

Alfred smiled at the thought of the older teen's name. Wonderful beautiful gentlemanly (and sometimes hotheaded) Arthur Kirkland was an 18 year old that Francis met in Britton who wished to visit America. Francis, being the impulsive man he was, invited the Brit to join him on his next visit to see his family in America. And Arthur (turning out to be just as impulsive as Francis) accepted the invitation.

Alfred took to Arthur right away. He enjoyed the way the Brit spoke and also admired the others emerald green eyes.

The two of them grew extremely close in these two weeks. They talked for hours about their interests and Alfred even discovered that Arthur (much like himself) preferred men over women. Arthur didn't mean for this information to be known by Alfred, but the younger teen couldn't be happier about finding out. He felt like he had a chance to be with this man he had come to love an never wanted to leave his side.

So naturally, Alfred was most disheartened to find that both his cousin and Arthur awoke early this morning to go off on a ride without him! Francis knew that Arthur would have to go back home to England soon! It was selfish if the Frenchman to go out with Arthur when Alfred's time with the Brit was running short.

"If you lean any farther out that window, you're going to fall and get a concussion." Alfred's farther scolded lightly from the table.

Alfred came back so he he was no longer dangling from the window and gave his father an apologetic look. "Sorry Pa, I'm just waiting for Arthur to get back."

Alfred's mother shook her head from where she was standing in the kitchen. "Arthur, Arthur, Arthur. Every sentence you utter these days has his name in it."

"I enjoy his company." Alfred replied with a shrug.

"Yes yes, I know that." His mother said with a shrug if her own. "It's just that lately you seem sort of…"

"Obsessed with the boy?" Alfred's father butted in.

"Yes, that's it! Obsessed. You seem obsessed with him." His mother walked over to sit next to her husband.

"I'm not obsessed with him…" _I'm just a bit infatuated with him, is all. _Alfred finished in his head.

Alfred's mother rolled her eyes but didn't press the matter. She instead asked, "Have you seen your brother today?"

"He's gone again?! That boy goes missing so often, I'm starting to suspect he has the power to become invisible." Alfred's father laughed at his own joke while Alfred frowned.

Alfred was very close to his 14 year old brother and he knew how sensitive the other was when people overlooked him or mistook him for Alfred. They looked very similar but were different in physique.

Alfred was more muscular and athletic. His short blond hair and sky blue eyes gained lots of compliments and he was often referred to as the handsome brother.

Matthew was thinner and scrawnier than Alfred. Although they had the same color of blond hair, Matthew's was longer and shaggily framed his baby face and violet eyes. People referred to him as the smart brother or, if people were unkind, the odd brother.

"I haven't seen him today." Alfred answered. "I'm sure he'll come home soon though. He said he was coming to the Town's Party today."

"I would hope so." His mother replied tentatively. "He needs to socialize more with the people in town and not with those shady sales people that pass by every so often."

Alfred was about to defend his brother but stopped when he heard the sound of pounding hooves. The teen almost cracked his neck as he quickly turned his head to look out the window. He saw Francis and Arthur emerge from the woods on their galloping horses, heading for the stables located in the barns.

Without another word to his parents, Alfred bolted out the door and to the barn house where he knew Arthur and Francis would be putting the horses.

The American arrived to the barn house just as Francis and Arthur dismounted their horses.

"Looks like I win again, mom ami~!" Francis taunted as he lead his horse into the stables.

"That's because you cheated!" Arthur huffed angrily, leading his horse behind the Frenchman.

"I most certainly did not." Francis pouted.

"You spooked my horse by pretending a stick was a snake!" Arthur snapped. "I could've fallen off and hit my head if he didn't calm down fast enough!"

"Oh, you're just over exaggerating." Francis waved his hand as if to dismiss Arthur's complaints.

"I am not!"

"Are too~!"

"**Not**!"

"Man, you two bicker like children." Alfred laughed as he finally made his presence known.

"Alfred!" Arthur exclaimed in surprise. He quickly turned his attention to the younger male. His cheeks were tinged a light pink color from being caught bickering with Francis. "When did you come in?"

"I came in right behind you two." Alfred grinned and walked up to Francis. "I can set your horse up for you if ya wanna go in to talk to ma and pa."

Francis gave Alfred a knowing look and handed him the reins. "Thank you, Alfred. I would love to talk to your charming parents and get away from this sore loser."

"I'm not a sore loser! You cheated!"

Francis chuckled as he made his way out of the barn. This left Alfred alone with a grumpy Brit.

"Humph." Arthur pouted as he began tending to his horse. "I can't believe you would do any favors for that dreadful cousin of yours."

Alfred smiled as he pulled Francis' horse into its own stable to tend to it. "Well, maybe I did it so I could spend more time with you. Ever think of that?"

Alfred looked over into the other stable just in time to see Arthur's face turn a deep red color. The Brit refused to meet Alfred's eye as he replied, "Am I supposed to see that as some sort of grand gesture? If you wanted to charm me, then perhaps you should have offered to tend to _my_ horse instead of that frog's."

Alfred laughed at that. "Your just mad because he beat you in another horse race." He said as he put away the horse's saddle.

"But I almost won this time!" Arthur said determinedly as he began combing his horse's mane. "I was just starting to pull ahead of him and he goes and spooks my horse. How childish is that?!"

"Almost as childish as whining about losing a race." Alfred teased. That comment earned the younger male a half hearted glare from Arthur.

"Well, I guess you would know since you're still a child yourself." Arthur teased back.

Alfred pouted. He finished setting up Francis' horse and walked into the other stable. "I'm not a child. I'm 15. Teens my age can totally get engaged and married if they wanted to."

"Hmm… 15 is a bit young to get married." Arthur said, his voice becoming quieter. He paused his brushing for a moment and turned to face Alfred. "Would you even be able to marry? I thought you liked…" Arthur trailed off, knowing that what he was speaking about was taboo among most people.

"Yeah I like men." Alfred said in a quieter voice. He felt a little more brave speaking about it than Arthur probably did. His face became serious as he continued. "I would hope that I could somehow marry the man I choose to fall in love with… but if not I'd at least hope we could still spend the rest if our lives living together as a couple."

Arthur's face turned solemn. He looked at the ground avoiding Alfred's gaze and fiddled with the brush in his hands. "Have you met anyone who you would like to spend the rest if your life with?" Arthur questioned quietly. He looked nervous, almost as if he was afraid of what Alfred's response would be.

Alfred, sensing the others nervousness, slowly grabbed one of Arthur's hands in his own. Alfred looked into Arthur's vivid green eyes that reminded him if spring and answered. "I definitely have someone in mind."

Arthur's eyes widened as he stared back intently. "I love you…" Arthur whispered breathlessly before he could stop himself. The Brit looked slightly started by the words that slipped past his lips but Alfred felt his heart burst with joy.

Unable to help himself, Alfred closed the distance between them. He latched his hands onto the older teens slender hips and pulled him in for a deep kiss. Alfred could feel Arthur dropping the brush and wrapping his arms around the others neck. They stared at each other through half lidded eyes as they shared their first kiss.

Alfred couldn't help but feel that his life felt complete in that moment. His heart was pounding and his mind blissfully clouded. The American wished that it could last forever…

**CRASH!**

Alfred and Arthur broke apart jumping as far away from each other as possible. The two turned quickly to find Matthew standing frozen next to fallen farm supplies that he had knocked over. Tears were quickly overflowing from the boy's eyes. He looked sadly between the two before hurriedly running out of the barn.

"_Shit! _Mattie wait!" Alfred tried calling after his brother. He felt his previously soaring heart plummet down into the pit of his stomach.

'_I should've known this would happen…_' Alfred thought miserably to himself.

Being close to his brother, Alfred knew all of Matthew's secrets. His brother had confided to not very long ago to Alfred that he (just like Alfred and Arthur) preferred men over women. Since Arthur had arrived, Alfred suspected that Matthew had a crush on the Brit but it wasn't confirmed until today. And Matthew looked absolutely crushed by the fact that Arthur, just like so many others, preferred Alfred over Matthew.

"I-I'm sorry to cut this short, Artie." Alfred said disappointedly as he backed towards the exit. "I think I should go talk to him."

Arthur nodded understandingly. "Go ahead, I'll meet you at the party."

Alfred felt his tense shoulders relax. "Thanks, Arthur." Alfred turned and started to run only to skid to a stop at the exit turn back to Arthur an say, "By the way, Art… I love you too."

Arthur blushed again and tried to hold back his smile. "Yes, I believe you made that quite clear. Now go after your brother, you daft American." Alfred smiled at _his_ Brit one last time before going after Matthew.

Alfred desperately hoped the boy wouldn't be to upset with him. Alfred loved Arthur and he was starting to fear that his brother would ask him to dump the Brit… he really hoped he Matthew wouldn't do that.

Finding no sign of his younger brother around the farm, Alfred figured the boy must have run off into the woods and decided to continue his search there.

After 20 minutes of searching, Alfred was just about to give up (figuring Matthew might have already headed to the party) when he suddenly heard his brothers voice coming from up ahead… but something didn't sound right.

Matthew's voice sounded dark and ominous, very unlike his usual soft spoken voice. Not only that, but Alfred realized that Matthew was speaking in a foreign language!

Alfred walked hesitantly towards his brothers voice feeling slightly nervous. When he caught sight if his brothers blond hair, Alfred hid behind a tree to secretly see what his brother was up to.

Alfred was horrified to see that Mathew (his _little_ brother Matthew!) was kneeling before a pentagram painted on the forest floor. Red was dripping from the boy's hands. His eyes looked dull and lifeless. In one hand Matthew held a squealing piglet from their family's farm and in the other he held a dagger!

As Matthew continued to chant in this foreign language, his voice slowly increased in volume. Alfred even caught his own name in the chant being said several times. It was when Matthew held the dagger above the squealing piglet that Alfred made his presence known.

Alfred burst forward from his hiding place and tackled his brother before he could kill the piglet. The knife flew from Matthew's grasp and the piglet ran away as Alfred sat on top of his brother.

"What the **_fuck_** was that Mattie?!" Alfred tried to sound angry but his voice came out in a fearful squeak. This was definitely a secret he did not remember his brother sharing with him.

Matthew's eyes remained dull and unseeing for another few moments before their light slowly returned.

"A-Alfred?" He said looking up at his brother quizzically one moment but the next he was grinning widely. "Alfred! I did it! I actually did it! I did a spell!"

"A spell?!" Alfred asked with wide eyes. He had still not removed himself from atop his brother. "Where the _hell_did you learn how to do spells?!"

"From some of the merchants that travel through town." Matthew answered nonchalantly. "But that's not important right now!… You can't be with Arthur!"

Alfred gave Matthew an odd look before he sighed heavily and moved to sit next to his brother while the other sat up.

"Matthew. I have to be with Arthur… I love him." Alfred replied.

Matthew looked a little hurt but still looked determined. "No! You can't be with Arthur. He's cursed."

"WHAT?!" Alfred jumped to his feet and looked hysterically at his younger brother. "Oh my god, Mattie! Did… Did you **curse** him?!… D-did you curse _me_?!" He asked remembering that he heard his own name in the spell.

"No! No no no! I didn't curse anyone." Matthew answered exasperatedly. "Arthur was already cursed. Everyone with the Kirkland name is cursed. That's what the spell told me."

"A _spell_ told you Arthur and his family is cursed?" Alfred reiterated in disbelief. Alfred thought all of this was insane. He didn't believe in magic but, for the first time in his life, he believed his brother was truly odd for believing in such things. "Mattie, I think you're just over reacting. I know that you like Arthur a lot too. I'm really sorry that you're felling hurt that he chose me but… I really _really_ love this guy. I can't simply **not** be with just because you tell me an imaginary spell said he's cursed."

"It's **not** imaginary!" Matthew argued determinedly. "It's real! Darkness follows the Kirkland name and causes harm to everyone they love and hate. Everyone close to them fall victim to the curse as well!"

Alfred shook his head growing upset by this nonsense.

"Matthew, I've had enough of this!" Alfred snapped. He crossed his arms angrily and glared at his brother. "I love Arthur Kirkland and _nothing_ is going to keep me from loving him. Not any prejudiced people's views, not some silly curse, and not even**you** can stop me from loving Arthur."

Alfred regretted yelling at his brother immediately when tears slowly started falling from those wide violet eyes. Alfred slowly uncrossed his arms and let them fall at his sides.

"I won't deny that I also love Arthur…" Matthew spoke softly as he wiped his tears away. " But _please_Alfred. You **_have_** to believe me when I say he's a cursed man. So please be careful around him."

Alfred nodded and offered a hand to his brother to help him up. His brother accepted the assistance and stood up slowly.

Alfred embraced his brother tightly and said, "If it makes you feel better, I'll be careful around him." Matthew sniffled quietly a few more moments before calming down. Alfred pulled away slowly and looked at his brother. "How about we go into Town together. I'm sure everyone's already at the party and I don't want them eating all the good food without us!"

Matthew finally cracked a smile at that and let his brother pull him towards the Town square.

* * *

After taking a detour to a creek to wash off the red liquid from Matthew's hands (which Alfred discovered was paint), they made it into the busy town square.

People chatted noisily over the music and children ran in between the gaps of people squealing happily amongst themselves.

It didn't take long for them to find Arthur who was chatting with Francis and their parents. The Brit seemed to be having a heated discussion with the American's father.

"All I'm saying is that it's ridiculous for you Brits to charge us so much for tax." Alfred's father said grumpily to Arthur.

"I apologize sir, but **I** don't control your taxes." Arthur said obviously growing upset at being scolded by Alfred's father for no reason. "Perhaps you and the other colonies should find a better way to bring the tax problem up with my country instead of throwing perfectly good tea into the Boston Harbor."

"Ha! People don't like that crap anyways." Alfred's father said moodily.

"_My_ people enjoy it, thank you very much!" Arthur said just as moodily.

Alfred threw his arm around Arthur and laughed, "Are we _really_ talking about politics at a party?" Alfred have his dad a look trying to say without words 'calm down'.

"Your father was the one to bring it up." Arthur mumbled with cheeks dusted pink. He looked away from Alfred but leaned into the younger male's touch.

"Pa, can't we go one day without talking about America's relationship with Britton?" Alfred asked with a strained smile.

"Humph. I suppose so. But you'll have to realize sooner or later that it's a serious issue." Alfred's father said. "You'll see. Change is coming."

"Right right, but for now I'm just gonna take this nice British man over to the ice cream stand." Alfred finalized as he pulled Arthur away from his family.

Much to Alfred's pleasure, Arthur calmed down after that so they could properly enjoy the party together. At the ice cream stand, Arthur let Alfred have his ice cream claiming he didn't care much for the sweet. (Alfred decided this made him love the man even more!) And Alfred was even able to coax Arthur into joining him in a dance.

Looking over at Arthur's smiling face, Alfred had decided that this was definitely the greatest day of his life… but all of that changed when the party was interrupted by a man on a galloping horse came into the town square.

"War!" The man shouted as pulled his horse to stop in the middle of the party. "America is going into war to become independent from Britain!"

Alfred froze where he was standing.**_War?! _**He had heard rumors of the possibility of war happening but he never believed it would happen so soon. He glanced over at Arthur who looked just as shocked as Alfred. His green eyes were wide with disbelief as he stared at the rider.

People gathered around the man as he gave more information and advised the men to prepare themselves and join the army.

"I can't believe this is actually happening…" Arthur uttered quietly in shock.

Alfred wrapped an arm around the Brit's shoulder as others began to give him leery glares. "Everything will be ok, Arthur." He tried comforting his love.

Arthur shook his head. "No it won't be. My country is going into war."

Alfred frowned. "My people are going to war too, ya know."

"Yes, Alfred. I believe I gathered that much." Arthur said angrily as he finally turned to look at the younger male with furrowed brows.

Arthur seemed to catch himself and made his expression soften before he spoke again. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap. This is all just happening so suddenly."

"I understand." Alfred rubbed the Brit's back soothingly. "Everything will be ok. We'll get through it."

Arthur just waved the hand away from him. "No… I'll have to help my country while I'm here. I should show my support and fight for them." Arthur said sadly.

"What?!" Alfred exclaimed. He backed away from Arthur to look at him in disbelief. "You aren't seriously thinking about joining the British army, are you?!"

"Of course I am." Arthur said determinedly. His eyebrows furrowed once again. "I _am_ British after all. It's only right that I fight for my country… and I was hoping that you would join me."

"What?!" Alfred exclaimed once again. His eyes doubled in size "A-Arthur, I can't join the British army. They're the whole reason why we're in this war."

"What?!" Now it was Arthur's turn to exclaim the word in shock. "If anything, you're colony is the reason why my country is going to war!"

"Well these _colonies_ are going to be a country very soon as well." Alfred snapped. His hands began to ball into fists.

"Not while my country has anything to say about it." Arthur growled back. He crossed his arms in anger. "Listen Alfred… You're young. Maybe you don't understand how serious of a matter this is, so I will ask you one last time. Will you join the British army with me? We would be together and you would be safe on our side." Arthur's expression looked almost pleading as he spoke Alfred.

Arthur's expression broke Alfred's heart. He oh so wanted to accept the Brits proposal and remain by his side to make sure his beloved Brit stayed safe in the catastrophic times he knew were soon to come… but he couldn't do it. He couldn't fight for a cause he didn't believe in.

"I-I'm sorry, Arthur." Alfred said brokenly. The young American felt overwhelming sadness having to choose between Arthur and his homeland. But it had to be done. "I can't join you. I can't fight against my homeland _or_ my family."

A spasm of hurt crossed Arthur's face. The Brit took stumbled a few steps back as if he was disoriented by Alfred's reply.

"Arthur…" Alfred reached out for his love and took a step forward. He willed for the man to come to him and stay by his side so that he could comfort him. But he did not receive the reaction he was hoping for.

Alfred's voice had snapped Arthur back to reality. The older man's face was twisted into one of anguish and fury as he slapped Alfred's hand away.

"Don't come near me." Arthur seethed. He backed further away but kept looking at the younger man vengefully. "Mark my words Alfred Jones… You'll regret ever refusing me!" Arthur stormed away.

Alfred remained rooted to the spot. He stared unseeing at the place Arthur was standing just moments ago. It wasn't until he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder that he finally moved.

He turned to find that Matthew was standing behind him with a relieved expression on his face. "Don't worry about it Alfred. It's for the best that he leaves."

Alfred knew Matthew was trying to comfort him, but his stomach twisted in a sickly manner at the wild merriment lurking behind his brother's eyes. He shook his brothers hand off feeling bitter that his sibling looked so happy about Alfred no longer having Arthur.

He walked away from his brother and the buzzing crowds of people. The day that started out so wonderful and dreamlike had tuned into a horrific nightmare.

* * *

**Ok so no horror in this chapter, but it's coming!**

**Rating might go up depending on how violent it gets but there won't be any smut in this story.**

**Oh! And shout out to my friend YamiyoDarknight for helping me with the title and pre reading each chapter. You're awesome Yamiyo!**

**Please leave me a review to let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I got too excited and decided to post the next chapter. n_n;;;**

* * *

War was hell. Absolute and utter hell. Alfred didn't know how else to describe it.

After Arthur had left, things just went downhill. Alfred's father, and even Francis, enlisted to fight for America's freedom. Alfred tried joining himself, but he was not permitted to enlist. Although he was of age, the men thought Alfred was still too young and scrawny to enlist. The young teen tried arguing with the men but in the end they convinced Alfred that he would be more helpful staying in the town than going off into battle.

Alfred felt useless at home. He couldn't do a single damn thing to help his homeland. All he could do was help his mother and brother with the chores and assist the occasional passing Rebel soldier.

Every so often they would get a letter from Pa or Francis… this is how they received the news that Alfred's father had died in battle.

Alfred's mother did not stop crying for weeks after they heard the terrible news. She clutched tightly to Francis' letter and would reread it every so often as if hoping she read it wrong the first thousand times and that her husband was still alive and well. Unfortunately, the letter only served as an ugly reminder for the terrible traumatic truth brought on by the blood spill of war.

It didn't help that Red Coats soon made their way into town. They stripped the town of nearly all it's goods and even raided their farm.

So desperately Alfred wanted to fight these men that caused so much grief and mayhem to his land, but alas he could do nothing. He knew he was terribly outnumbered and would certainly die at their hands, leaving Matthew and his mother to fend for themselves. He couldn't do that to them, so he remained silent as the Red Coats destroyed their town and left their farmland barren.

By the time Alfred turned a more suitable age to join the army, he was unable to do so. His mother grew deathly ill and he had to remain by her side to tend to her. Alfred and Matthew did all that they could for their mother, but having no medicines and no food she grew weak. It didn't take long for her to also pass away and join their father in the afterlife…

Now, it was just Alfred and Matthew. Alone in a ruined town with no food. It had been nearly two years since anyone had passed through their land.

Alfred looked up from the table to glance at his brother who was sitting by the window. Matthew's face was pale and gaunt giving him the appearance of a dead corpse. Anyone who looked at him would have indeed already thought he _was_dead if the boy did blink or sigh every so often.

The older brother knew he didn't look any better. His once short blond hair had grown to be just as long and shaggy looking as Matthew's and his sky blue eyes didn't hold the same light that they once had.

Matthew clutched his stomach as a loud gurgling noise erupted from it. His face became contorted in anguish as another hunger pain racked through his body.

Alfred stumbled towards his brother as fast as he could in his weakened state. "Are you ok?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around the younger sibling. It was a stupid question because Alfred already knew the answer but he still asked all the same.

Matthew's eyes remained screwed shut as he shook his head. "H-hungry…" he gasped painfully.

Alfred frowned. He wished he could take his brother far away from this barren place to somewhere there was food and warmth, but they were stuck here. They had nothing to protect themselves from dangerous animals lurking in the woods. They had never had problem with wild animals before, but when food became scarce the animals took to preying on townspeople and any other traveler who tried to pass through the woods.

"I know…" Alfred said miserably as he patted his brother's head. "Lemme check the cabinets. There has to be_something_ in there we can eat."

Alfred left Matthew's side and made his way into the kitchen. He opened cabinets he knew would be empty but he prayed that some sort if miracle would happen and good would magically appear.

As Alfred opened the last cabinet, he let out a startled yelp and stumbled backwards into the floor.

"What is it?!" Matthew inquired worriedly. He arose from his seat to help Alfred stand and looked into the cabinet.

Inside was an infestation of roaches that had made a nest in their pantry. Dozens of them scattered around in the small space as light came into the previously dark cramped space.

"Yuck. How long have these bastards been in here." Alfred inquired in disgust.

"Not sure."Matthew answered sadly, obviously disappointed that there wasn't any food. "The weather is starting to get colder. They're probably trying to find shelter and food."

"Well they aren't gonna find any food_here_ that's for sure. Right Mattie?"

Matthew didn't answer. The younger sibling stared oddly at the cabinet.

"Right Mattie?" Alfred tried asking again thinking the brother didn't hear him the first time.

"Alfred…" Matthew said hesitantly and faced his brother. "We _have_ to eat something soon or we're going to starve to death."

Alfred looked at his brother sadly. "I know, Mattie. I wish there was something I could do, but there's nothing here we can eat."

Matthew fiddled with the hem of his shirt, which was now much too baggy for the younger males bony frame. "There's _something_ here that we can eat." He replied eyeing the cabinet hesitantly.

Alfred's eyes widened. "Oh no… No, Mattie. No no no! Oh God, **_please _**don't tell me you're suggesting what I_think_ you're suggesting!"

"Look… I don't like the thought of eating cockroaches either. But right now, it's either that or starving to death. Which do you choose?" Matthew insisted.

Alfred didn't reply. He knew his brother was right. So he simply nodded to show his agreement to do something he never thought he would do in a million years.

Matthew was the first to move. Alfred watched his brother warily as the younger tentatively grabbed a roach. He stared at the struggling insect for a moment before screwing his eyes shut and popping it into his mouth.

Alfred gagged at the loud crunching and sound and would have vomited if tree was anything in his stomach to be emptied.

Matthew swallowed and shuddered distastefully. He opened his eyes and looked expectantly at Alfred. When the older sibling made no move, Matthew reached forward and grabbed another roach.

"I know you don't want to do this but it has to be done." Matthew said as he held up a particularly large roach before his brother. "If it makes you feel any better… it doesn't taste that bad."

It didn't make Alfred feel better. Matthew paused and he always paused when he was telling a lie, but Alfred didn't point it out. Instead, he screwed his eyes shut, just as Matthew had done, and opened his mouth wide so he couldn't watch as his brother lowered the bug into his awaiting mouth.

* * *

Alfred shuffled about his family's barren farmland. He looked around the dried up wheat fields with a miserable expression. He remembered how the wheat would gleam like gold in the sunlight. If only they had some of those luscious grains now. He would've treated it as the golden treasure it really was.

Now the American, who had just passed his 23rd birthday, was searching the fields in hope that something, _anything_, could be growing even though this land had not produced any crops in the past 3 years.

Alfred gave a heavy sigh and was about to join Matthew inside when he was stopped by a low eerie moan.

Alfred stood stock still at the sound. It was hard to see much in the twilight. The American could barely make out the surrounding trees billowing in the wind… The wind! He sighed in relief.

"It's probably just the wind." Alfred muttered to himself. He started to relaxed but immediately tensed when he heard the moan again. This time it sounded much clearer.

"_Alfred…_" a strangled voice called.

Painstakingly slow, Alfred turned to face the direction he heard the voice coming from. On the opposite side of the field was a dark figure. Alfred stared at it wide eyed as it limped towards him.

Alfred wanted to scream and yell for help at the sight of this creature but he couldn't find his voice.

"Is it a ghost?!" Alfred wondered wildly to himself. "Is it some evil spirit intent on harvesting my soul?!"

"_Alfred_." It called sounding even clearer.

Alfred paused. He knew that voice!

"Francis?!" Alfred called back.

The figure didn't answer after that. Instead it fell in a heap onto the earth.

"Francis!" Alfred called again. This time frantically. He ran hurriedly over to his cousin. He fell to his knees next to Francis and rolled him over to see his face. The sight Alfred was met with made his stomach turn.

Francis' body was covered in deep gashes and numerous bullet wounds. His eyes were screwed shut and pain was evident on the man's face. Alfred wondered how it was possible for the Frenchman to still be alive and breathing (even if it was a bit ragged).

"O-oh my god." Alfred's hands hovered over Francis. He was afraid to touch him in fear that he might do more damage. Tears welled in his eyes as a feeling of helplessness overtook him. "Lemme go get Matthew. He will know what to do."

Alfred tried to stand but his cousin's hand shot out to tightly grab his wrist and stop him.

"Alfred…" Francis' spoke brokenly. He opened his eyes, which looked dull and lifeless, to stare at Alfred intently. "D-don't go… I have… something urgent to tell you…"

Alfred tried to pry the man's hand off of his wrist. "That can wait, but I need you to let go of me so I can get you some help!"

"No!" Francis tried to shout, but it came out as a horrid gurgling sound. Blood spewed forth from the man's mouth and pooled onto the ground as he began to cough. "Please…" he gasped desperately. "Not much time… have to warn… Alfred…"

Alfred finally succeeded in pulling himself free from Francis' death grip. And sighed in relief. "You can warn me later. I'll be right back with Matthew."

Alfred ran back to the house ignoring his cousin's protests. He barged into the house, startling Matthew, and hurriedly explained to his brother about their injured cousin. Matthew wasted no time in following Alfred outside to help Francis.

As they approached the place Alfred left Francis, the older sibling's eyes doubled and then tripled in size.

"W-where did he go?!" Alfred exclaimed. The spot where Francis had been lying just minutes ago was empty. Alfred walked around frantically looking every which way for his injured cousin. "H-he was just here! He couldn't have moved on his own. He was too wounded to go anywhere else."

"Alfred…" Matthew spoke softly.

"Maybe someone came and took him! He said he had something to tell me!"

"_Alfred_…" Mathew said a little louder.

"Or maybe he **did** move on his own! Maybe he tried crawling back to the house and we ran right pass him!"

"_**Alfred!**_" Matthew grabbed hold of his frantic brother and lookedsternly into the other's wild eyes. "Francis was never here."

"But he was!" Alfred insisted as he stared back at his brother. "He talked to me and even grabbed me and-"

"No!" Matthew said more firmly. His hold on his brother tightened. "You need to stop doing this to yourself. Francis wasn't here. He's probably still off fighting in the war. You were probably just hallucinating from lack of food."

Tears filled Alfred's eyes as his brother's words slowly sank in. The American fell to his knees on the hard ground. He let the tears silently slip down his face as the reality set in.

Francis wasn't here. They were still alone and no one was coming back for them.

Matthew carefully patted his brother's head. "I'm sorry Alfred. I know you want to see Francis come back for us but he can't do that yet. There's a war going on and he won't be able to come until it's over."

Alfred didn't answer. He continued I stare at the dry ground below him.

Matthew sighed heavily and shivered in the wind. "It's getting cold out. I'm going to try and light a fire inside. Come in when you feel up to it."

Alfred nodded as his brother made his way back inside. He remained were he was a few moments thinking over the hallucination he had just had. It all seemed so vivid and real but he knew his brother was right. Francis couldn't be anywhere near here. He probably wasn't even wounded. He was most likely still fighting for America's freedom.

Alfred shivered as a cold wind hit his face. Deciding it was time to join his brother inside, Alfred placed his hand on the ground to heft himself up but paused when his hand felt something wet.

He raised his hand to see bright red liquid on it. Alfred quickly looked down and could barely make out drops of blood left where Francis had been lying.

* * *

Alfred became slightly paranoid after the night he had that hallucination of Francis. Although now, he didn't think it was a hallucination at all. No matter how often Matthew tried to say otherwise, Alfred was convinced it was real.

The American would go outside everyday just to look out into the woods. He hoped to catch some glimpse of his cousin coming back, even though he knew it was unlikely. If what he saw wasn't an hallucination then his cousin was most likely dead. Probably dragged off by hungry wolves.

The air around Alfred was still and quiet but the sun was luckily shining down and giving him warmth. Matthew stayed indoors. He never wished to accompany Alfred outside and it often made the man feel lonely.

On lonely days like these, Alfred's mind would always drift and think of Arthur. The thought of Arthur was the only thing keeping Alfred's sanity. He would think of and miss the Brit's lovely green eyes that reminded Alfred of spring. He missed the way Arthur would make a silly face when arguing with his cousin. He missed the way Arthur would come out in the morning with his bushy eyebrows all mussed up. And (most of all) Alfred missed the feeling of having those arms wrapped tightly around him.

Just like everything else he had lost, Alfred desperately wished he had cherished the man more while he had him…

Alfred figured war had that effect on you. You come to realize how short a time you have on this planet and an even shorter time to appreciate the good things life gives you.

Although Alfred didn't regret his decision to not join Arthur, he regretted that he didn't try hard enough to make the Brit stay. He should have held on tight to the man and never let him go. He should have tried to express his feelings towards the man better to try an convince him to stay… but no… All Alfred was left with was the memory of him staying rooted to the spot as he watched the love of his life walk away.

Alfred was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the sound of footsteps on dry earth. He didn't even notice that someone was approaching him until the figure halted right in front of where Alfred was sitting.

The American blinked slowly when he finally noticed the figure and looked up to meet the persons gaze. The figure smiled down sadly at the American.

"… Hello Alfred" a soft accented voice greeted him.

Alfred took in a shuddering breath and tears filled his eyes as he looked at the beautiful being in front of him.

"A-Arthur?…"

* * *

**Dun dun duuun! Arthur's back?! What does that mean?! You'll all just have to find out next chapter. ;D**

**Also, I felt soo terrible writing this chapter. I just want to take Alfred and Matthew and give them a warm blanket and some soup and comfort them. DX **

**I hope you all still enjoyed this chapter though. Please review to let me know what you think of the story. (Reviews fuel me to write more ;D)**


	3. Chapter 3

"Arthur?"

Alfred must be dreaming. He _had_ to be dreaming! There was no way Arthur was here in this barren place…

Alfred continued to stare at the man standing in front of him. It was all he felt he could do, for the American feared that once he reached out to touch the man he would disappear.

Arthur continued to smile down at Alfred sadly. He looked different from how the American had remembered him. He wasn't wearing a Red Coat uniform like Alfred would have expected him to. He seemed to have grown a couple inches and was slightly thinner than he once was. Alfred figured it was because the war affected Arthur's eating habits as well. But the biggest change Alfred noticed was that Arthur's eyes where no longer that beguiling deep green of spring color. They looked a slightly duller grey-ish green color that reminded Alfred of cold approaching winter clouds.

"It's been a while hasn't it?" Arthur uttered softly. The man looked nervous about standing in front of Alfred and the American couldn't understand why.

'_He can't be nervous about confronting me, can he?'_ Alfred thought dubiously to himself. '_I've been dreaming of this moment for ages. He can't possibly think that I would still be upset about what happened all those years ago…_'

"I-I understand why you wouldn't want to talk to me…" Arthur said sadly finally breaking eye contact with the American.

Alfred looked at him confoundedly before he realized '_Oh! I haven't really said anything have I?_'

"Of course I want to talk to you." Alfred spoke up. He said it sincerely to the other blond and rose from where he was sitting on the earth to face him properly.

Arthur turned his attention back to Alfred. The two of them stared apprehensively at each other and neither of them seemed to know what they should say next.

They'd both been hurt and had said hurtful things to each other that day they discovered war had started. Both had so much to say, so much to apologize for, but didn't know how to start.

"I hoped you would come back to me…" Alfred decided to break the silence first. It was just the push Arthur needed to speak again.

"I'm so sorry for the way I left." Arthur apologized. He took a step closer to Alfred but didn't reach out for him like the American wanted for him to do. "It was bloody foolish of me to yell at you when it could have been the last time we ever saw each other."

"I'm sorry for the way I snapped at you that day!" Alfred apologized as well. His heart fluttered with some hope that he and Arthur could make things right and salvage the relationship they had before the war. Alfred reached out and grabbed Arthur's hands (which he noticed were as cold as ice). "I don't care if we are still at war with your country. I miss you and I don't want anything to come between us!"

"War?" Arthur blinked in confusion. "Alfred, haven't you heard?… The war is over now."

"T-the war is over?!" Alfred's eyes widened at the news. It is in so long since he had heard news if the war that he'd figured it was still going on.

Arthur nodded and looked away from Alfred, but made no move to remove his hands from the American's. "British troops are heading to New York as we speak so that they may be shipped back home… America won its independence." He said the last sentience with a sad smile.

Alfred was taken aback by the news. It thrilled him to know that his homeland (now a country) had achieved it's freedom but he still had questions he wanted answered.

"Have you heard from Francis?" Alfred inquired breathlessly. "No one has been through here in years so Mattie and me haven't gotten any letters from him. If the war is over he should be coming back soon right?"

Arthur continued to avoid Alfred's eye. "Francis won't be coming back… he was shot in battle just a few weeks before the war was over."

Alfred let go of Arthur's hands. He gazed at Arthur with furrowed brows. "How do you know?" The American asked feeling sorrow at the thought of his cousin being dead.

Arthur took a deep breath. The Brit was obviously troubled to have to be the one to tell Alfred this news, but he did so anyways. He turned to face Alfred again an said, "I was there. I saw him get hit by multiple gunshots. There was no way for me to reach him or help him…"

Francis was dead just like his mother and father… Now Mattie was the only family Alfred had left.

Alfred breathed a heavy sigh. For some reason, the knowledge if Francis' death didn't affect him as he thought it would. He felt like he should be bursting into tears. Maybe even start weeping uncontrollably at the fact that so many loved ones had died and left him… but he didn't have any tears to shed.

It actually made him feel a bit frustrated that he couldn't feel more remorse for his dead cousin. It made him feel heartless… Had the affects of war desensitized him to the point where he couldn't even properly mourn a lost loved one?

"I'm so sorry for your loss." Arthur apologized sincerely when Alfred didn't reply.

"First Pa, then Ma, and now Francis…" Alfred muttered slowly. He closed his eyes to let everything sink in but slowly opened them to look at Arthur's concerned face. He gave the man a half hearted smile. "I'm glad that you are still alive and well."

Arthur looked away, slightly embarrassed but didn't blush like he usually would at a comment like that.

"Yes well, I'm glad you are all right… and Matthew too." The Brit added. "You didn't say his name so I figure he is still alive as well?"

"He's inside. He doesn't like being outside much." Alfred answered.

They fell into another awkward silence.

Alfred wanted to grab Arthur's cool hands again but thought it might be unwise to do so considering how things between them were still fragile. So the American stuffed his own hands into the pockets of his torn and tattered trousers to prevent himself from acting out on these feelings that could scare Arthur away.

"I missed you." Alfred decided to say.

"I missed you too, Alfred." Arthur replied. The Brit took in a shaky breath. He looked like he was mentally preparing himself to say what he wanted to say next to Alfred. "I thought about you often. You're the only reason why I'm still in America. I saw so many terrible things during war. There was so much bloodshed and death. It made me realize that I took what we had for granted."

Alfred looked at Arthur in surprise. He had felt the same way during the war, and to hear that Arthur thought the same as he did made the American feel a bit more at peace.

"I shouldn't have ended what we had together." Arthur continued. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you… I don't really expect you to accept this proposal, especially since you've rejected me once before and the war is now over, but I came here to ask if you would come back with me to my home in Britain. I'd stay with you here (if you'd be willing to have me) but I imagine it will be difficult for a Brit like myself to stay in a country where he is detested."

To say Alfred was taken aback would be an understatement. The American was not expecting any sort if proposal like this. On one hand, he was elated that Arthur wanted to give this relationship another chance and stay together. On the other hand, Alfred didn't know if he should leave after his country had just earned it's independence.

"What about Mattie?" Alfred inquired.

"Of course he is welcome to come too." Arthur answered. "I wouldn't dream about leaving the poor lad here all alone."

Alfred looked between Arthur and his ruined home. It didn't take the American to decide what he wanted more.

Unexpectedly, Alfred closed the distance between him and Arthur to encircle his arms around the still slightly shorter man. "I don't care where we live. As long as we're together, nothing else matters."

Arthur's reflexes were slow. He let his arms dangle at his sides for a minute before he slowly returned the embrace and burrowed his face into Alfred's chest.

"Thank you, Alfred. I'm happy that you chose to come with me." Arthur pulled away slightly so he could look at Alfred's face again, but he did not relinquish his hold on the younger man. He smiled a genuine smile that the American had not seen in a very_very_ long time.

Right then Alfred felt an overwhelming happiness take over him. He had an urge to kiss the man in front of him. He longed to feel the other's lips pressed against his own once again. Alfred began leaning closer with the full intent of placing a deep thoughtful and meaningful kiss on Arthur's lips…

"Alfred are you alright?" Matthew's voice rang out from the house.

'_Dammit_!' Alfred though angrily as Arthur pulled away at the interruption. '_I was so close!_'

Matthew came out of the house to search for his brother.

"Are you ok, Alfred? I thought I heard voice…" Matthew halted just outside the front door. His eyes were as big as dinner plates when he saw Arthur.

When Matthew finally got over the shock of seeing Arthur, he took in how close Alfred and Arthur were standing next to each other. Matthew glared daggers at the Brit. His grip on the door knob tightened.

"Get away from my brother!" Matthew hissed hatefully.

"Matthew!" Alfred gasped in surprise. He had never seen his brother act like this and it was quite shocking to say the least.

"Get away from that damned Red Coat, Alfred!" Matthew ordered his brother. "He'll pass his curse onto you!"

'_Oh, hell. Not this curse nonsense again._' Alfred groaned in his head.

"Curse?" Arthur looked Matthew in confusion. "What do you mean curse?"

"Don't act dumb!" Matthew pointed an causing finger at Arthur. "I did a spell a long time ago and I know about your family's curse!"

"My family is **_not_** cursed!" Arthur bristled at the accusation. "And it's absolutely ridiculous to believe in such nonsense."

"It's not ridiculous and you know it!" Matthew snapped. "Now get off our property and don't come back!"

"Matthew that's enough!" Alfred shouted angrily at his brother, causing the younger sibling to coil back in shock. Alfred rarely yelled at Matthew like that. "Arthur is _not_ cursed. He came here to help us. He invited us to live with him in his home in Britain and I already said yes."

Matthew looked horrified by what Alfred said. "No." The violet eyed man defied quietly before raising his voice again. "No! I'm not going!"

Without another word Matthew stepped back into the house and slammed the door shut.

"I'm sorry." Alfred apologized to Arthur, who was staring at the house with an unreadable expression. "I don't know what's gotten into him… it's probably from lack of food… Anyways, let me go in and talk to him."

Arthur nodded as he turned to face Alfred with a slight smile on his face. "This seems a bit like a déjà vu moment." The Brit stated.

Alfred smiled himself when he remembered that day from long ago where their moment was interrupted by Matthew and Alfred had to run off to talk to him.

"I guess now would be the moment I have to say 'I love you too' but you haven't said 'I love you' yet." Alfred teased.

Arthur gave Alfred a crooked grin and said, "I love you."

"I love you too." Alfred chuckled and left the Brit before going inside after Matthew.

Fortunately, Matthew was not trying to cast a spell or sacrifice a pig when Alfred found him. Unfortunately, Matthew was extremely upset and had his back towards Alfred when the older sibling entered the room.

Alfred pulled up another chair and sat in front of his brother, who was deliberately avoiding eye contact.

"You realize you're acting like a big baby right?" Alfred began. "And that's coming from _me_. So that should tell you right now exactly how much of a baby you're being."

"I'm still not going with him and neither are you." Matthew mumbled crossing his arms defiantly. "To go with him to the place where the curse was created is a death sentence. We'd both be dead by this time next year!"

"There is no such thing as curses and we will be fine." Alfred stated bluntly. He leaned forward to rest elbows on his knees before continuing, "Look Mattie I'm going with him no matter what. I don't want you to be left alone here, so can't you just get over this weird obsession you have with Arthur and a curse and come with us? I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you."

"You won't be able to keep that promise…" Matthew replied solemnly. "But if I can't stop you from going then I'll go with you. _Someone_ is going to have to protect you when all this curse business comes into effect."

Alfred rolled his eyes. At least Matthew was willing to go. Even if it was for an odd reason.

The older sibling embraced his brother in a tight hug. "Thanks Mattie. We're gonna be alright. You'll see."

Matthew nodded but looked doubtful.

* * *

**Yay~! I feel like the story is going somewhere now! The plot will thicken next chapter ;D**

**Thank you everyone who has favored and is following this story. It means a lot to me. n_n Please leave a review to let me know what you think of the story so far ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone~! I just wanted to warn you that I have decided to raise the rating of this story to M for violence and character death. If you don't like reading things like that then now may be the time to abandon the story.**

* * *

Alfred sat next to Arthur in the carriage with Matthew sitting across from them. They all sat silently as the rain pattered against the windows. Alfred looked at his brother sitting across from him. The younger looked very uncomfortable although Alfred didn't know if it was because of the new clothes Arthur had gotten them or because he was still worried about the curse… Most likely the latter of the two.

Alfred also felt uncomfortable but it was mainly because of his three piece suit. Arthur insisted that he wore the suit saying it made him look "dashing". Alfred complied but absolutely refused to wear the sleeve cuffs.

The American leaned back in his seat and turned his attention to the raindrops as they ran down the window pane. He didn't realize the the weather in this country would be so dreary. Just like he didn't realize that Arthur and his family were very well off.

When they had gotten off the boat, a tall man with spiky blond hair named Lars was waiting with a carriage to take them to Kirkland Manor.

Alfred expected Arthur's house to be in a town or even a small village, but he was proven wrong as the carriage took them further into the countryside and away from civilization.

"It won't be much farther now." Arthur spoke to the two brothers. "Kirkland Manor should be at the end of this road."

"Are there any other people around this area?" Alfred asked as he tore his gaze away from the window.

"No." Arthur answered. "Before my parents passed away, they told me that our ancestors have always been recluses. They built the house as far away from civilization as they could. The only people you'll ever see are the servants… and my little cousin Peter."

"I didn't know you had a cousin." Alfred said in surprise.

"My family took him in after his parents passed away." Arthur explained. "He's a sweet kid, but he likes to try and act older than he really is."

"He sounds cute." Alfred smiled. "I'm sure we'll all get along great together. Right, Mattie?"

Alfred turned his attention to his brother who was still pouting.

"I'm sure we will…" Matthew said uptightly. "That is to say, if we're alive long enough to get to know him."

Alfred groaned in frustration while Arthur remained silent. The Brit was growing used to Matthew's accusations of him being cursed and ignored them but Alfred still felt very frustrated by it all.

Alfred opened his mouth to scold his younger sibling but was prevented from doing so when the carriage came to a sudden halt. Alfred slid off his seat, unprepared for the stop, and pouted when he realized he was the only one to fall.

"Looks like we're here." Arthur chuckled and offered Alfred a hand.

Alfred let Arthur help him back to his seat. A moment later, Lars opened the carriage door and held up a large umbrella. He silently assisted them off and helped them carry their luggage towards the house.

The Kirkland Manor was bigger than any house Alfred had ever seen. The stone structure was two stories tall and looked like it had a dozen rooms on the first floor alone.

When they walked into the grand house, a woman with tan skin and pigtails was waiting for them. The candle in her hand barely illuminated her serious face in the dimly lit room.

"Hello Master Kirkland." She nodded and did a small curtsy in greeting Arthur. "It's good to finally see you home."

"Thank you, Michelle. It's good to be home." Arthur gave her a slight bow of the head and rightened himself. He motioned to Alfred and Matthew before adding. "These are the two gentlemen I wrote to you about. They'll be living here with us."

She looked the two men up and down. Alfred gave her a bashful wave while Matthew stayed completely still. After scrutinizing the two newcomers of the household, she also have them a curtsy.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Master Alfred and Master Matthew." She spoke to them with the same amount of respect she did toward Arthur. (Alfred felt awkward being called 'Master'.) "Your rooms have been prepared for your arrival. Would you care for me to lea-"

"Jerk Arthur!" A youthful voice bellowed.

Everyone looked towards the top of the stairs where a young boy that strikingly resembled Arthur (from the messy blond hair to the thick eyebrows) was standing. Alfred could only guess that this was Peter.

He had bright blue eyes that twinkled mischievously. The boy was also wearing a three piece suit but it was very different from what Alfred and Matthew were wearing. It looked very similar to the uniform their captain wore on his ship, so Alfred guessed the boy was dressed like a sea captain.

Alfred's guess was proven correct when Peter picked up an oversized captains hat lying on the floor and put it on top of his head. The boy then ran down the stairs and threw his arms around Arthur.

"I missed you, you jerk!" Peter exclaimed as he burrowed his head into Arthur's chest. "You've been gone for too long."

Arthur patted Peter's head as pulled the boy away from him.

"I missed you too." Arthur replied. The Brit hooked his arm around Alfred's and pulled him forward. "Peter this is Alfred. He and his brother Matthew will be living with us from now on."

Peter looked disappointed that his cousin pulled away from him and that made Alfred feel bad. He figured the little guy was upset that he had to share his cousin with other people when the Brit had finally come home after all these years.

"Nice to meet you Peter." Alfred greeted the young boy with a smile.

Peter looked at Alfred for a few moments, scrutinizing him just as Michelle had done. For some reason, Alfred felt more uncomfortable under his gaze than he had under Michelle's. Perhaps he felt that way because Peter was a blood relative to Arthur and Michelle was not, so his opinion meant more than hers.

After a few moments, Peter cracked a smile and skipped over to Alfred.

"It's nice to meet you too, Alfred." The little boy chimed as he linked his arm with Alfred's free one. "You look fun! I'm sure we'll get to be extra close friends."

Arthur beamed at the two of them.

Alfred sighed in relief that Arthur's cousin had accepted him so quickly.

Matthew rolled his eyes.

"I'm happy to see that you've taken a liking to the new members of the household." Michelle addressed Peter. "But you should run along now and get ready for dinner while I show Master Matthew and Master Alfred to their rooms."

Peter pouted but relinquished his hold on Alfred. "Alright." He then flitted over to Arthur's side and clutched the Brit's hand tightly. "I'll show Arthur to his room then!"

"Peter, I do believe I can still find my way back to my room." Arthur told the young boy.

"But you just got back and I want to spend time with you!" Peter insisted.

Arthur sighed and gave Alfred an apologetic look. "I think I'd better go with him. I'll let Michelle show you your rooms. I'll see you at dinner in about an hour."

"O-oh. Ok." Alfred replied awkwardly as Peter pulled Arthur out of his grasp. He was hoping the he and Arthur would be sharing a room but maybe the British man wasn't comfortable with doing something like that yet. "See you at dinner."

Alfred waved as he watched Arthur and Peter disappear down one of the dark hallways. This left Alfred and Matthew alone with Michelle.

"Well now…" Michelle spoke up. She began walking towards the stairs in a dignified manner and held the candle high. Alfred didn't know why she did this seeing as it didn't shed any more light into the room as it should have. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your rooms."

Alfred and Matthew followed Michelle up the stairs. Alfred looked every which way trying to take in the decor of the house.

There were many painting hanging on the walls. Most being of family members (this was obvious due to the people's blond hair and thick eyebrows) but others were of nature painted in an overcast setting. The wallpaper was a faded yellow and white striped color and every few feet there was a candelabra hanging on the wall. Again, the light coming forth from the candles did little to illuminate the inside of Kirkland Manor. Alfred also noticed that there were roses placed on every table they passed.

"The roses looks nice." Alfred commented. As the passed their fifth table of roses. "They're so red they almost look black."

"They _are_ black." Michelle replied without looking at him.

"Seriously?!" Alfred said impressed. He paused to take a closer look at one of the roses and, sure enough, they were indeed black. "That's amazing! How do they grow like that?!"

"It's a Kirkland family secret." Michelle answered as she turned to look at Alfred. Even Matthew had paused to look at the roses with interest. "The Kirkland Manor is famous for its black roses."

"If they're so famous then why aren't there any other people here to see them?" Matthew muttered, earning him a glare from Alfred.

"The Kirkland family has always enjoyed their privacy." Michelle answered.

"Humph…" Matthew crossed his arms. "The only reason why people would choose to stay so far away from civilization would be because they are trying to hide something."

"That's not true Mattie." Alfred grumbled at his brother. He turned to address Michelle with an apologetic look. "You'll have to excuse him. He wasn't all that thrilled about leaving home."

Michelle looked between the two brothers before settling her eyes on Matthew. She grinned for the first time in front of the brothers and said, "You're a smart one. You just might do alright here."

She turned on her heel and continued walking down the hall. Matthew looked a bit proud at the compliment but Alfred felt confused.

Arthur wasn't hiding anything from him… was he?

"Here's your room Master Matthew." Michelle halted in front of a mahogany door. "And Master Alfred's room is the one right next to yours. Master Kirkland suggested that you both have rooms close together. And your rooms overlook the gardens, so you should enjoy that."

"You know…" Alfred spoke up and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "You don't have to call us Master. Just Alfred and Matthew will do."

Michelle gave Alfred a bored smile. "As a servant living in the Kirkland household, I am obliged to refer to you as such. You will get the same treatment from Lars and Bella."

"Bella?" Matthew inquired.

"Lars' sister. The cook and another servant living here." Michelle replied. "You will meet her at dinner. Speaking of which…" Michelle paused to look at a watch on her wrist. "Dinner will be served in precisely one hour and ten minutes. I suggest you use this time to rest from your long trip. I will be back in an hour to lead you to the dining room so that you won't get lost in an attempt to find it."

Without another word, she curtsied before turning to leave the two to explore their new living arrangements.

* * *

Alfred used the hour to get accustomed to his new room. He opened the curtains in hopes that it would add more light to the darkened room. But it didn't do much seeing as there was no sunlight in the overcast weather to stream through his window.

Soon, but not soon enough, Michelle came to collect Alfred and Matthew to take them to dinner.

Arthur was waiting for them in the dining room with Peter, who looked like he had yet to relinquish his hold on the older man's hand.

"Alfred." Arthur grinned and removed himself from Peter's hold to stride towards his American lover. Peter seemed to pout when Arthur pressed a light kiss on Alfred's cheek. "How do you like your room?"

"It's great." Alfred beamed back. He was glad that the lighting was dim, otherwise everyone would clearly be able to see his blush. "It's twice the size of Mattie and mine's old room. Right, Mattie."

Matthew didn't answer, making things feel a bit awkward.

"Why don't we all sit down?" Arthur broke the awkward silence and motioned towards the long dining room table.

"I get to sit next to Alfred!" Peter piped up as he latched himself onto the American.

Alfred was a little taken aback by Peter's sudden clinginess, but he accepted it. Alfred let the small boy lead him to the table.

Arthur was about to take the other seat next to Alfred but Peter stopped him.

"Wait Arthur! I want to sit next to you too!" Peter exclaimed. He grabbed the Brit to pull him into the other seat next to him.

Arthur looked over Peter's head at Alfred, as the young boy took his seat in between the two. He looked at Alfred apologetically, but Alfred shrugged to show he was ok with it. The American was enjoying the attention.

Matthew sat next to Alfred since it was the seat furthest away from Arthur.

Everyone chatted a bit more (everyone but Matthew) until a girl with short blond hair came in balancing four plates.

"Hey Bella! Let me help you out there." Peter jumped out of his seat to grab one of the plates.

"C-careful Peter!" Bella exclaimed as she almost lost her grip on one of the plates. She quickly rightened herself and adjusted her grip on the plates she still held.

"Peter…" Arthur said in a stern scolding parental tone. "You shouldn't be so impatient. Bella will serve you."

"I know she will." Peter said innocently with a blush as he held onto the plate. "I just wanted to serve Alfred since he's my new friend."

Arthur's stern look softened and even Alfred had a strong urge to "aww" at the adorableness of Peter's gesture of kindness.

"Thanks little man! That's really sweet of you." Alfred thanked Peter as the little boy placed the plate in front of him.

"I'm not little." Peter pouted. But the complaint fell on deaf ears as Bella set the rest of the plates down.

Their cook gave a small curtsy. "It's good to have you back Master Kirkland. And it's a pleasure to meet you Master Alfred and Master Matthew."

Alfred felt awkward being called 'Master' again but gave her a nod of acknowledgment anyways. He figured it would take some getting use to the customs of the Kirkland Manor.

Bella left the room with another curtsy and a smile. Alfred was about to start digging into his food with the others, but stopped when he felt something rubbing against his leg.

"Oh awesome!" Alfred exclaimed when he looked down to see what it was. "Arthur! You never told me you had a cat!"

Alfred picked up a large fluffy white cat that had brown scruff.

"Is that Niblet?" Arthur inquired aloud. "He was just a kitten when I left… by god! He's gotten fat."

Niblet meowed and his tail swished back and forth angrily as if he was offended by the fat comment.

"Aww, he's not fat!" Alfred defended the cat as he stroked its fuzzy mane. "He's just fluffy is all." Alfred picked some food off of his plate and let the cat eat it from his hand.

"Alfred, don't let the cat eat your food." Arthur scolded. "It'll spoil him and he won't want to eat his cat food."

"It doesn't hurt to let him have a little treat now and then." Alfred laughed lightly. Arthur opened his mouth to argue again but was cut off by a sickening hacking noise.

Everyone snapped their attention to the cat, who would not stop it's grotesque coughing noise. Alfred tried to see if the cat was alright, but Niblet scratched his hand and stumbled onto the floor where it continued his hacking.

"I-is he alright?!" Alfred asked worriedly. He ignored the pain in his now bleeding hand as he looked at the cat. "Is he trying to cough up a hair ball?"

"Niblet's never done anything like this before." Peter said as he watched the cat with wide eyes.

Niblet began convulsing. The feline arched it's back in obvious pain as it coughed out a mixture of foam and blood.

No one knew what to do to help the poor creature. They could only stare in horror as the cat let out heart wrenching sounds of fear and pain.

Then it became very still.

Niblet's form went limp as it fell to its side. It's eyes remained wide and unseeing.

The cat was dead.

* * *

**Poor Americat! QAQ I'm so sorry I killed you! But how did he die?! Ya'll are gonna have to find out next chapter.**

**Also, I just want to thank all of you following this story and leaving reviews. You all make me super happy when you do that! (^/u/^)**


	5. Chapter 5

The room was dead silent as everyone stared at the Niblet's still form.

"W-what just happened?" Alfred said barely above a whisper.

Arthur was the first to move. He took Alfred's plate away from him. The Brit intently looked over the plate for a moment before he picked out an odd plant and stared at it with a dark expression.

"It's hemlock…" Arthur stated in an eerily calm voice.

"Hemlock?" Alfred said with wide eyes. Alfred didn't know how to identify the plant but he knew what it was and what it could do. "D-does that mean someone… that someone was trying to…"

"Someone was trying to poison you." Arthur finished darkly.

There was pure rage and fury on the Brit's face. Alfred had only seen that look once before, the day Arthur left him to join the war. The look sent chills down his spine. Even Matthew and Peter looked scared of the Brit.

"**BELLA!**" Arthur shouted for the cook at the top of his lungs, causing everyone to jump.

Bella appeared moments later, looking quite startled by the sound of Arthur's voice.

"Y-yes sir?" She quaked. "Is everything alright?"

Arthur strode angrily to her and lifted the plate to her face.

"What the bloody hell do you make of this?!" He snarled at her. His eyes narrowed.

"I-it's your dinner." Bella stuttered. The cook was afraid and confused, still not understanding what was wrong. "Was it not to your liking?"

"I'm not _talking_ about the **food**!" Arthur's voice became louder as his anger grew. He picked up the hemlock and waved it in front of her face. "I'm talking about THIS! What the hell was _this_ doing in Alfred's food?!"

Bella's eyes grew wide in understanding. She began to tremble from head to toe. "Master Kirkland, I swear to you that I did not put that there. I would never wish any harm on you _or_ your guests!"

"I don't _care_ that you didn't do it!" Arthur yelled furiously at her and threw the plate against the wall causing it to shatter and fall to pieces. "This happened on your watch! _You _are the one handling the food! _You_ are the one who served us! How could you _possibly_ miss something like this?!"

Bella looked close to tears. She opened and closed her mouth at a loss for words. She didn't know what to say or even how to defend himself.

Before Arthur could start screaming at her again, Alfred placed a firm hand on Arthur's shoulder and forced the Brit to face him.

"Arthur, you need to calm down." Alfred stared at Arthur intently and spoke in a steady tone hoping it would calm the other.

Arthur glared at Alfred. "I will _not_ calm down!" He seethed. "Don't you understand you could have died?! Not only that, there was only hemlock on _your_ plate. Someone **purposely**tried to kill you!"

Alfred's eyes widened. He didn't really think about it until now. His plate _was_ the only one to get poisoned.

Did that mean… someone in this house wanted him dead?

Alfred looked around the room to take in everyone's faces.

Bella was still trembling and still on the verge of tears.

Matthew looked terrified and was muttering something about curses under his breath.

Peter continued to stare at the dead cat with a blank expression.

Arthur still looked furious. The Brit was enraged that he almost lost his American when they had only just reconciled.

Alfred felt sick from it all. He couldn't comprehend why anyone would want to kill him.

Unable to bring himself to look at anyone else, Alfred said, "I'm going to my room… I've lost my appetite."

Alfred walked out of the room, feeling a little disappointed when no one stopped him or even bothered to comfort him. But Arthur was too enraged to be of much comfort to the American and Matthew would most likely bring up the curse. And a curse was the last thing Alfred wanted to think about.

* * *

It had been a week since the incident with the poison occurred. Finding no clues to tell them if someone purposely put the hemlock in Alfred's food, everyone decided it must have been an accident.

Arthur apologized for his outburst but still became very cautious after the incident. At every meal he had Bella taste test their food before they ate.

Lars was upset that Arthur was making his sister but he never voiced his thoughts lest he make the owner of the household angry.

Alfred decided that it was an eerie an terrifying feeling to come that close to death. It shook him up a bit that first day, but now the American was back to his normal self. He, just like everyone else, accepted that it was merely and accident an accidents happen.

Well… everyone but Matthew accepted it.

The younger sibling was furious with Alfred for still denying that it had anything to do with the curse.

"This is only the beginning!" Matthew told his brother a few days after the incident. "If we don't leave now, things are only going to get worse. Before you know it, we will both be dead!"

"Mattie, it was just an accident." Alfred had consoled his brother. "Arthur's made precautions to make sure it won't happen again. We'll be fine."

That didn't make Matthew happy at all. He just continued to have a constant look of fear and irritation on his face and kept himself locked in his room.

Alfred was frustrated that he couldn't get his brother to leave the room or try to accept their new home, but at least Alfred finally had some alone time with Arthur.

Alfred looked across the library room to the place Arthur sat peacefully reading a book. The dim light from the fireplace illuminated the Brit's soft features. The American couldn't help but smile at the endearing site. It had become nearly impossible to get a peaceful moment like this. Especially, when Peter was hanging around Arthur whenever the Brit got close to Alfred. (The American was beginning to suspect that Peter didn't like sharing his cousin.)

But this moment was nice for Alfred. It was just him and Arthur in the quite sanctuary of the library. And Alfred didn't want a single minute of these beautiful moments to go to waste.

"So what are you reading?" Alfred inquired as he kneeled next to Arthur's seat. He nonchalantly leaned as close as he could towards the Brit.

"Just a book of poems." Arthur answered, not taking his eyes off the book.

"Well, that sounds boring." Alfred frowned when he did not get a reaction he wanted. But he quickly perked up and asked, "Why don't we do something fun?"

"Reading isn't boring." Arthur said in a slightly offended tone. He turned away from his book to face Alfred. He obviously wasn't expecting Alfred to be as close as he way, but didn't let it deter him. "You sound like Peter. Why don't you get a book and join me?"

"Because it finally stopped raining for the first time since we've gotten here." Alfred replied. "We should take advantage of this slightly less depressing weather and go outside together… alone."

Arthur glanced around the room and seemed to realize for the first time that he and Alfred were all alone. Finally understanding what Alfred was getting at, Arthur closed the book.

"Go outside? What would you like to do out there?" Arthur questioned with a sly smile.

"I don't know. Maybe take a stroll through the garden. You can show me all of those black roses your family is famous for growing. And I hold your hand." Alfred smiled coyly and wrapped his hand around Arthur's.

Arthur's eyes gleamed as he leaned closer to the American. Their foreheads were pressed together and there was barely any space between their lips.

"That sounds like a lovely idea." Arthur murmured. His lips brushed lightly against Alfred's as he spoke, sending a pleasurable jolt down the younger man's spine. His heart pounded with anticipation. "Perhaps we could even-"

"Go horse riding!" Peter exclaimed loudly from the doorway causing Alfred and Arthur to jump apart.

Alfred's face burned red and he felt irritated that Peter had interrupted them.

"Arthur, you promised me we could go horse riding soon." Peter said as he strode into the room. Alfred scooted further away from Arthur when Peter took it upon himself to sit on his cousins lap. "Besides I also wanted to show Alfred his new horse."

Well that got Alfred's attention. "You got me a horse?" The American asked with wide eyes.

"Yes… but that was supposed to be a _surprise_." Arthur gave Peter a scolding look for spoiling the surprise.

"Woah! That's awesome! You're the best, Arthur." Alfred leaned in to quickly peck his lover's cheek. "We totally have to check it out right now."

"Urgh, you're just as childish as Peter." Arthur sighed and ignored his cousin's cry of 'I'm not childish'.

Both boys looked at Arthur expectantly. So the Brit let out another sigh and said, "Peter… go call Lars and tell him to get the horses ready."

Peter excitedly jumped out of Arthur's lap and ran out of the room. Calling out for Lars the entire way out.

"Sorry about that stroll in the garden." Arthur turned to Alfred with an apologetic smile. "We'll have to do it another time."

"I don't mind, as long as I'm with you I'm happy." Alfred held out a hand to Arthur to help him up.

As soon as Arthur's cool hand was intertwined in Alfred's, the American pulled the Brit forward.

Arthur stumbled into Alfred's chest and Alfred immediately wrapped his hands around the Brit to keep him from moving away. Arthur tensed at the sudden gesture, but immediately relaxed. He rested his hands on Alfred's shoulders and looked into sky blue eyes.

The Brit was looking at Alfred in such a way that filled his insides with fire and burned all the way to his toes. It made Alfred close the distance between them.

Alfred and Arthur had only kissed once before (and the American always replayed that kiss more times than he is willing to admit since the Brit reappeared into his life), but this was different. While their first kiss was shy and innocent, this one held more hunger and longing. The American couldn't help but deepen the kiss as Arthur's fingers ran soothingly through his hair. The Brit's sent was overwhelming and made Alfred want _more_.

But of course, it all ended too quickly.

The two lovers broke apart when they heard frantic shouts coming from the backyard. Alfred and Arthur looked at each other in concern before running to see what the ruckus was about.

"PETER STAND BACK!" Michelle shouted at the boy.

Alfred and Arthur came outside just in time to see Peter crouching near the stables. Michelle was standing close to the house looking frightened and Lars was sitting on top of a madly bucking black horse.

Lars had his teeth bared as he tried controlling the large animal. He shouted at it to calm down and pulled the reins but it wouldn't stop. The horse shook it's head back and forth like it was in pain and would not cease from trying to throw off its rider.

Arthur made a movement to go forward and help but Alfred quickly grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"Are you crazy?! You can't go near that horse!" Alfred exclaimed over the horses loud whines and stomps. "That animal looks like it's gone mad and it could seriously hurt you if you get too close!"

"Well I can't just let that animal run around like that." Arthur argued. "We have to stop it before someone gets hurt!"

But alas, it was already too late. Just after Arthur had said those words, the horse thrusted back harshly onto its hind legs causing Lars to lose his grip and fall onto the ground.

The man let out a loud yelp as his ankle twisted beneath him. It was obvious he had broken it by the way the foot was pointing in an odd direction. Lars found that the pain in his leg had left him immobilized where he laid on the ground.

Before the tall man could make any other movements, the horse bucked up again and brought one of its great hooves down onto Lars.

There was a sickening crack as the hoof smashed down into the man's forehead. Everyone stood horrified at the sight of the man's squashed brains spilling onto the floor. Remnants of his shattered skull stuck to the bloodied lumps.

Everyone stood still in stunned silence. The only source of noise came from the wild horse.

Arthur was the first to recover. His bolting forward to stop the horse caused Alfred to snap out of his shock and rush forward to aid the Brit. The two men narrowly avoided being kicked but together they were able to stop the giant horse from bucking.

It still shook it's head madly and dug it's hooves into the ground as the men held it steady.

"I don't know how this happened." Arthur exclaimed in shock as he took the reins off the horse. "She was a kind spirited horse when we got her. That's why I picked her out for you."

Alfred didn't know why the fact that this was supposed to be his horse made him feel sick all of a sudden.

Behind him, Michelle had already gotten Peter and was ushering him quickly into the house while shielding the boy's gaze from Lars' body.

Alfred assisted Arthur by taking the saddle off the horse. As soon as it was removed, the horse calmed down and stopped whining.

'_That's strange._' Alfred thought to himself.

"Alfred… what is that?" Arthur was looking oddly at the saddle in Alfred's hands.

The Brit let go of the horse (it walked away calmly as if nothing was wrong) to get a closer look of the saddle. Alfred turned the saddle over to see exactly what had caught the Arthur's eye.

"What's that?" Alfred repeated Arthur's question when he saw two long stems with fuzzy leaves sticking to the bottom of the saddle. Alfred went to grab one but Arthur smacked his hand away.

"Don't touch it!" Arthur ordered. "That's Stinging Nettle."

"Stinging Nettle?" Alfred inquired, not knowing what that was.

"It's like poison ivy." Arthur explained. "It drives the horses crazy and irritates their skin, which is why we have it growing in the furthest corner of the garden."

Both remained silent for a few moments as Alfred let this information sink in.

"Arthur…" Alfred said quietly. "You don't think someone put that there on purpose do you?"

Arthur's expression became dark once again. The sight sent chills down Alfred's spine… and it wasn't the usual pleasurable chill he felt when he was near Arthur.

"It seems like it." Arthur finally answered. His voice strangely calm.

Alfred was speechless. Another death had occurred and it looked like this attack was meant for the American.

"I won't let it go this time." Arthur whispered harshly. "I'm going to find out who's doing this."

Alfred opened his mouth to try and calm Arthur, but was cut off by a high pitched screech.

"Lars!" Bella cried in despair at the sight of her brother. She ran forward and fell to her knees in front of her dead brother. She looked into his dull unseeing eyes and burst into fit of tears.

The sight tore at Alfred's heart. He wondered if Matthew would cry over him like that if he was in that place… Alfred knew he would cry over his brother in deep despair if the other ever died.

Alfred walked over to kneel next to Bella and patted her head lightly, knowing it wouldn't help much. Arthur pulled a small hand towel from the saddle an respectfully placed it over Lars' face and injury. Bella wept louder as they did so.

Alfred pushed the thought of his life being put in danger once again and concentrated on what was happening now. He and Arthur remained with Bella to help her mourn the loss of her beloved sibling.

* * *

**I feel soo terrible for killing Lars! QAQ Being trampled to death is a painful way to go.**

**I hope you are all enjoying the story so far. Does anyone think they know why all this crazy stuff is happening? See if you can guess ;D**

**Please leave a review to let me know what you think of the story so far. n_n (Reviews are very much appreciated.)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey there readers! Sorry this chapter is late. DX (Please forgive meeee!)**

* * *

"_Now_ do you believe there's a curse?" Matthew interrogated his brother.

Alfred sat on his brother's bed as the younger sibling paced the room in an uneasy manner.

Although Alfred would never admit, he had become extremely anxious after Lars' death. The poor American was terrified to be left alone. He clung to Arthur's side almost as much as Peter did. Alfred knew he was being ridiculous but he was quite shaken by the fact that someone tried to kill him. Twice!

"This has nothing to do with a curse Matthew." Alfred said as firmly as he could. He leaned back into the soft pillows and crossed his arms as he looked up at the ceiling. "I'll admit some terrible things have happened since we got here, but they were all done by some unknown person. A curse didn't put hemlock in my food. A curse didn't stuff Stinging Nettle into my horse's saddle."

"Someone associated with the curse could have done that though." Matthew pointed out.

"It wasn't Arthur, if that's what you're getting at." Alfred said hotly. He knew Arthur would never try to harm him.

"I'm not _talking_ about Arthur." Matthew said exasperatedly. He was still pacing the room. "I'm talking about Peter."

"What?!" Alfred sat up quickly to give his brother a bewildered look. "Peter is just a little kid. There is no way he would do those things."

Matthew stopped his pacing to return Alfred's bewildered look.

"Alfred, Peter is not a little kid." Matthew replied curtly. "The boy is at least 15."

"How could he possibly be 15?" Alfred questioned irritably. "He looks so young, and he's always wearing those captain's play clothes."

"You really don't pay attention to anything that goes on here do you?" Matthew narrowed his eyes at his brother. "I bet you haven't even noticed that no matter how many candles are lit, no light can ever reach the walls of this accursed place."

Alfred pouted angrily. Of course he noticed the odd thing about the lights, but that didn't really have anything to do with what they were talking about at the moment.

"You still haven't explained to me why you think Peter is 15." Alfred said angrily.

"Isn't it obvious?" Matthew eyed his brother wearily. "Arthur told us how he likes to act older than he really is and that he is a really good kid. But that was his memory of Peter from 8 years ago! The way Arthur spoke of him made Peter sound at least 7 years old when he left him. When you put in account for the 8 years Arthur's been away, traveling and fighting in the war, that makes Peter 15."

Alfred shook his head still not accepting that Peter was older than he looked. He opened his mouth to argue but Matthew cut him off again.

"And you must have noticed how Arthur baby's him. He treats Peter like a child and only gets him those ridiculous play clothes to wear, but Peter is always trying to correct his cousin by reminding him that he is not a kid."

"Ok…" Alfred decided to go along with this for a moment. "Let's say Peter really _is_ 15. If he was, then what does that have to do with anything? Why would he want to kill me?"

"Because!" Matthew said exasperatedly. He looked at Alfred like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "He's in love with Arthur and wants him for himself."

"You're nuts!" Alfred shook his head at his brother. Alfred thought this idea of Peter loving Arthur was a ridiculous thought. "Peter is way too young to be in love; even if he _is_ 15."

"Need I remind you that _you_ were only 15 when _you_ fell in love with Arthur?" Matthew crossed his arms determinedly. Alfred pursed his lips in irritation at his brother.

"Listen…" Matthew continued. "You don't have to take my word for any of this. Go ask Peter himself about his age. Heck! Go ahead and spy on the guy if you like. You'll see that he isn't really the age you think he is and you'll realize how obviously infatuated the boy is with his cousin."

Alfred stood up feeling rather creeped out from all this talk. "I'm going out for a walk." He said ignoring his brother's startled look and quickly headed out the door.

As Alfred walked down the darkened hallway and couldn't help but feel hopelessly confused. He now knew that he could no longer deny that there was something strange with the house and it's darkened rooms. No longer could he deny that there were things that Arthur wasn't telling him. Although Alfred didn't know what these things could possibly be, but he needed to find them out.

The American was so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice Peter running towards him. Peter was busy looking over his shoulder to see if anyone was behind him and didn't notice Alfred until it was too late.

Peter crashed into a pensive Alfred, causing them both to fall in a heap onto the floor.

"Oof!" Alfred felt the air leave his lungs momentarily when his back hit the hardwood floor beneath him. It didn't help that Peter had ran rather harshly into his stomach before the fall.

"Sorry, Alfred!" The boy apologized (slightly out of breath) as he quickly removed himself from atop the American. "I didn't see ya there."

Alfred coughed as he sat upright, trying to regain his breath.

"I-it's ok." Alfred replied once he was able to. The American ran his fingers through his hair and winced when he felt a bruise forming.

Alfred eyed the boy carefully as he stood up and dusted off his pants. Looking now, Alfred noticed some things e didn't notice before. Although Peter was childish, his features _did_ show that he was older than the American ha originally thought. There wasn't much baby fat on the boys cheeks and his jawline was slightly more defined than a child's would be.

Alfred shook his head to stop thinking about Peter's age and tried addressing the ki-… the teen again.

"So Peter…" Alfred started, immediately grabbing the young teen's attention. "Why were you running so fast?"

Peter eyed Alfred for a moment. The young teen looked like he was taken off guard by Alfred's question, but he soon smiled broadly at the American. (Alfred had only seen him smile that way towards Arthur.)

"I was running away from Michelle." He explained and offered a hand to assist Alfred up. Alfred let Peter help him while the teen continued to talk. "She got mad at me 'cause I was playing with the windows in the green house."

"Green house?" Alfred questioned with a raised brow. "I didn't see a green house outside."

"That's 'cause it's built into the Manor." Peter said with a shrug. "It's located in the far left wing of the house. I don't think you've seen that side of the house yet."

"Oh." Alfred said simply. The American hadn't taken much interest in exploring the house since the incidents were what had consumed most of his thoughts. "Why was she mad at you for playing with the windows?"

"She says they're super fragile." Peter explained with a pout. He looked down bashfully before adding, "All I was doing was using the lever to open the overhead windows. I like letting the fresh air into the room when it's not raining."

Alfred smiled softly at the teen. The young boy sounded so innocent and sweet! Alfred mentally chastised himself for thinking Peter had anything to do with the killings.

"She's just looking out for you." Alfred chuckled and pat Peter's head. "Michelle doesn't want you to get hurt."

"Michelle's a bitch." Peter stated harshly.

"Peter!" Alfred exclaimed with wide eyes. He wasn't expecting any sort f language like that to come from the young man. "Peter, you shouldn't use language like that." Alfred scolded nervously.

"Why not?!" Peter snapped. "It's not like I'm a child. Plus, I'm always tired of the way she treats me."

"That still doesn't excuse you from using language like that." Alfred insisted. He looked at the boy in disbelief of what he was hearing… maybe the boy wasn't so innocent after all.

"Whatever." Peter rolled his eyes. He was obviously upset but didn't let it bother him for long. For a moment later, Peter's eyes shine mischievously as he looked at Alfred. "Hey Al, since Arthur is busy, do you wanna hang out with me in my room?"

Alfred took a step back in surprise. Being invited to Peter's room was very unexpected and something the American did **not** want to do. After all, Alfred didn't know if he could trust this teen or not! But then again… maybe spending time with Peter would give Alfred more information about whatever secrets Arthur may be hiding.

"Sure!" Alfred answered with a strained smile. "I'd love to spend some time with you."

"Great!" Peter exclaimed happily and took hold of Alfred's hand.

The American regretted his decision immediately. If Peter really _was_ trying to kill him, then Alfred was about to give the teen a great opportunity to do so. They would be all alone and no one would be there to witness that Peter is the killer!

Alfred grew increasingly more nervous as they walked on down the darkened hallway. He spared Peter a sideways glance before looking ahead again and thought, '_He's short though… and really scrawny. If he _does_ try anything then I can totally take him on! I could totally kick this kids a-'_

"Here we are!"

Alfred jumped at the suddenness of Peter's loud voice in the empty hall. They had stopped in front of a mahogany door similar to Alfred and Matthew's. The only difference between this door and theirs was the fact that there was a lock on the outside of the door, rather than the inside.

"You're gonna love my room. It has tons of awesome stuff inside." Peter grinned widely as he opened the door for the American.

Alfred felt his knees shake as he remained rooted to the spot.

'_Oh my god, I should have told him no._' Alfred thought frantically. '_Whats gonna be inside? A torture chamber?! Strange tools that he can use to kill and main me_?!'

Peter looked impatiently at Alfred as the American let his imagination run wild. The young teen held Alfred's hand even tighter and pulled the man inside, ignoring the startled yelp he received when he did so.

Alfred clamped his eyes shut, feeling terrified to find out what he had just stepped into. He knew it was ridiculous to do so but he couldn't help it! He had already let his imagination get the best of him and he was too afraid to rationalize his thoughts.

It wasn't until Alfred heard the door slowly close behind them, that the American decided to suck it up and face whatever was before him. Alfred opened one eye very slowly to look at Peter's room.

The American was relieved to find that he was not in a torture chamber. There were no strange tools around to harm or kill him at all. As a matter of fact, it was just a normal child's room.

It was dark, just like the rest of the house, but there were toys everywhere. There were toy trains, blocks, books, and even a lonesome looking rocking horse sitting in the corner. The walls were blue and sailboats were painted all along the top boarders of the walls.

"Uh, nice room you got here Peter." Alfred turned to the young boy who would not take his eyes off the American.

"Thanks." Peter said I a strange happy voice that gave Alfred the chills. "Arthur was the one who suggested the sailboats when they made my room. He knows how much I love the ocean."

"That was kind of him." Alfred smiled softly, feeling a bit more calmer when his lover was mentioned.

"Yeah. Arthur has always been the one to understand me the most." Peter said as he sat on his bed.

Alfred smiled wider at that, until he remembered what Matthew said about Peter having a crush on Arthur. Feeling uncomfortable, Alfred decided that they should steer the conversation away from Arthur.

He looked around the room for a conversation started and immediately found one when he spotted…

"Dolls?" Alfred chuckled in disbelief when he noticed 2 dolls sitting on a nearby shelf. The American walked over to them and picked one up. "I thought dolls were a little girl's toy." Alfred laughed as he stared down at the doll's porcelain face. Blond curls framed the toy's beautiful face.

"Arthur had those made for me." Peter replied with furrowed brows. The teen looked upset that Alfred had called it a 'girl's toy'. "He had them specially made to look like my parents. It was the first thing he had given me after they passed away."

All signs of humor quickly disappeared from Alfred's face when he realized what the dolls were. He carefully placed the doll back next to the other. Their blank stares seemed to look right past him.

"Sorry. I didn't know." Alfred rubbed the back of his head nervously. The only thought coming to his mind at the moment was, '_I'm an asshole_.'

"It's ok." Peter forgave Alfred right away. He swung his feet and stared at the ground. His expression was neutral. "I don't care for the dolls that much." Peter answered. "I never cared for my parents much either."

Now _**that**_ had definitely taken Alfred off guard. What sort of orphaned child doesn't care for their deceased parents?!

"They were generous and doting parents…" Peter continued to speak. His voice grew strangely harsher and eerie. "But they were always too busy to pay attention to me. They loved each other too much and only had eyes for each other. I thought that starting that house fire would finally get me the attention I wanted from them, but even _that _didn't work!

I stood outside as the flames enveloped the house. My parents were inside together and began to dance around as the flames consumed them. Can you believe that?! They were dancing _without_ me! My parents screamed as they continued to dance about inside of the great flames, right up until the house burned down… Even while dying, they were still having fun without me!"

Alfred backed up until his back was pressed against the wall. He looked at the boy in horror. The teen was obviously mad… bonkers… coo coo… Whatever you want to call it! The boy was crazy, and Alfred didn't want to spend another moment with the homicidal maniac.

Without bothering to make up an excuse, Alfred dashed out of the room. He didn't look over to see if the boy was chasing after him. Alfred just wanted to get as far away from Peter as possible and confront Arthur about what he had just heard. Did Arthur know that Peter had killed his own parents?

Alfred ran all the way down to the other side of the Manor. Calling out for Arthur as he did so. Up ahead, he saw a faint light coming from one of the rooms.

"Arthur!" Alfred called out again And ran up to the room where the door was left ajar. "Arthur! We have to talk about Peter right n-"

The rest of the sentence trailed off as Alfred saw what was inside the room.

It was the green house room that Peter had mentioned to him before. There was a crank lever in front of the door and it looked like it had been tampered with and broken. The lever kept rolling nonstop and the windows above him kept opening an slamming themselves shut.

Alfred looked back down into the room to find that Arthur wasn't inside, but someone else was.

Lying on the floor covered in blood and broken glass from the shattered overhead windows was Michelle. The woman stared off into space with glossed over eyes. She made no movements and Alfred couldn't see her breathing.

She was dead.

* * *

**I want to make up an excuse as to why this is late by I have none! I was just too consumed with playing Pokemon X. DX I had to tell myself, "Melly, you're not allowed to have another battle until you finish this chapter!" So I hope you enjoyed this chapter n_n**

**Poor Michelle. Being stabbed to death by shattered glass is a terrible way to go.**

**Lemme know what you think of this chapter. Reviews inspire me to write n_n**


End file.
